Nagoya Grampus – Arsenal, again, again and again

By Walter Broeckx

Our third game in pre-season brought us to known territory for one man: Arsène Wenger. As you all know by now it was his last team he managed before coming to Arsenal all those years ago. So it was a nice hello with some old people he worked with in those days. And with his former player Stojkovic now manager of Nagoya Grampus since a few years.

It was going to be interesting to see how we would cope with the heat and humidity over there. And therefore it is always a good idea to have a good start but not run yourself over when doing it. Player that started were: Fabianksi, Jenkinson, Sagna, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Rosicky, Theo, Giroud and Ryo on the left wing. Somehow the expected starting line up certainly with local boy Ryo given the chance to show what he can do in his home country.

Well we got a good start. Arsenal was immediately in control of the game and we passed the ball rather nicely from foot to foot. And before the home team knew what we were doing we scored the opening goal. Rosicky got the ball on the right hand side of the field, looked up and saw Giroud in the middle. He ran in between the space between the two central defenders and his powerful header ended up in the net. No keeper could have saved that. Another fine goal from the French striker. 6 goals in 3 halves for the moment. Not bad, Olivier, not bad. 1-0 to the Arsenal after only 3 minutes played.

Arsenal kept control of the game and carved out some openings but no further goals were forthcoming. But we seemed to suffer a first heat/humidity set back. Gradually Nagoay Grampus came a bit more in the game. And they even were close to carving out a chance after a striker went past Mertesacker, but Sagna who played central defender came to the rescue.

Arsenal now played more on the counter and on one of those counters Theo played the ball to Giroud who could have gone for the shot but he pulled the ball back to Ryo who was in a good position to score. But a Nagoya Grampus defender came sliding in with his arm in an unnatural position and stopped the ball. The ref pointed to the penalty spot. Ryo got behind the ball to make it 0-2 to the Arsenal and he struck it hard and low in the corner. A big pressure on his young shoulders I can imagine but he didn’t let himself and us down. 0-2 to the Arsenal after 26 minutes.

We then again leaned back a bit but we still got a few chances on the counter. But Theo after a run and good cut back couldn’t beat the keeper who saved with his leg. Some players seemed to get tired a bit, apart from Ramsey who once again was impressive, being everywhere on the pitch and on one occasion dribbling past half of the Nagoya Grampus team without losing the ball. Nagoya Grampus tried but didn’t make a lot of chances and Fabianski had a rather quit evening in Japan. We were 0-2 up at half time.

A lot of changes in the second half. Players coming on were Jack Wilshere, Zelalem, Gnabry, Podolski with Nagoya Grampus trying to get a goal back. So a bit of a nervous opening minutes and two chances for the Japanese team. But then the new look Arsenal took things back in hand. And they also got two big chances in as many minutes. Theo first: his shot was saved by the keeper, the cut back failed miserably. And then Gnaby made a dashing run from the left hand side to see his curler just finish outside the goal post.

And then came that young man Gedion Zelalem up with what seems to be one of his strong points. A lovely ball taking out the whole defence and Walcott who made the smart run with a very cool finish over the keeper. What a master pass that was once again. 0-3 to the Arsenal after some 55 minutes.

Arsenal were completely in control at that moment and Gibbs at the finish of a Walcott cross also just missed the goal. It was his last contribution as on came Miquel at left back. Fabianski then had to make a stop but Arsenal immediately replied with a Jack Wilshere chance but the keeper with an excellent save could palm the ball in a corner for Arsenal. Ramsey was more or less playing in the Arteta role in the second half. And then suddenly popped up as the most forward attacker. What an engine he has.

Anything Zelelam can do, I can do better must have been on Wilshere’s mind and he curled a lovely ball in to the path of Walcott, but the keeper just saved it this time. On came Akpom and Aneke for Theo and Ramsey.

Was it the many changes and adaptations? After that we weren’t as dominant any more. And a cross from Nagoya Grampus was met by a striker and he headed home in a Giroud fashion by some bloke by the name of Yano. (Or something like that). Fabianski with a hand to it but couldn’t stop it going in. 1-3 after 72 minutes.

Another amazing opening from Zedion Gelalem but Akpom’s shot went wide. He sure has the vision, this young man. The game slowly fizzled out a bit. Arsenal with lots of possession a few half chances, some attempted gallery play, keeping the ball. And then trying to open things up but it was at a rather slow tempo. Last thing I didn’t want to see and neither did Wenger was a strong challenge on Zelalem in the last minute of the game. But he came up without a problem it seemed.

Another good win for Arsenal. Giroud answering the critical fans yet again with a really good goal, Ryo scoring for Arsenal in Japan and Walcott with a goal (he should have scored a lot more goals but this was a coolly finished example).

Last word about the editor who was responsible for showing the game on TV. I think he was more interested in making close ups than in what was happening with the ball. I have seen on way too many occasions that the ball was in play (judging from the movements of the players) but that the focus was on Ryo who was nowhere near to the ball or on Wenger who was even further from the ball. This was a messy way of showing a game of football.

55 comments to Nagoya Grampus – Arsenal, again, again and again

I see a great future for Zelalem and it may come a lot sooner than we thought this time last week. I love him already, what a signing. Even the moaners have to agree with this I think.
Seeing lots of reports that Bernard the Brazilian ‘wonderkid’ is on his way over later in the week for a medical, £21 million fee and terms having been agreed. Could be media bullshit off course.

Zelalem looks a year or 2 from hitting the big time, but he has everything you want to see in a kid his age. A bit more strength and experience alongside his talent and you can see him becoming something special. Interesting that Wilshere has dropped back when he has played so far. (in our 4-2-1-3 being in the ‘2’ rather than the ‘1’).

It looks increasingly like Wenger wants to ride things out without buying a new Center-back until Vermaelen is fit. Bac looked so comfortable there, and Jenkinson settled so well into RB that I think it may be the plan B for the next couple of months.

Impressive that with a big step up in opposition, they still looked good — Friday will be an even bigger test.

I don’t know if people get what I mean, but the side seems ‘almost’ already: they are starting to click, the interplay is starting to work, but things are not quite there yet. — Its a big plus, because it felt they didn’t get to that point until 2-3 games into the season last year.

Sorry, Bernard to Arsenal does look like media bullshit. The ever reliable Daily Mirror have now deleted the original story, (see my 2.08pm post) and substituted a Wenger quote rubbishing the reported imminent transfer.

It looks like we really are seeing a fine team developing here – which raises all sorts of questions about transfers. I think if I were Giroud and I had performed like he has, I’d be thoroughly miffed to find someone else trotting in and stealing my place in the team.

The Guardian reported that Giroud was ok last season but didn’t score enough for a centre forward left to carry the burden of scoring.

That seems tripe to me – Walcott really came on last season, and I expect him to do so again, with Podolski scoring too. Giroud is not on his own – the style of play encourages the other forwards to get in there – not to mention Santi Cazorla from time to time.

I am starting to think that we need maybe some more players in case of injury, but not players to replace the current people who we are putting out.

Thank you Frank Arsenal for spoting Ramsey. He’s a good player, in two seasons the hawks will come circling for him. I wish Arsene this season uses his squad and reserves more, give a young player opportunity here and there. Good game, I don’t think Ryo played very well, but hey, he’s at home and can’t critisize much. Sagna played well again, can read the game better at CD. The games to tell us something about the season will be Napoli and Galatasaly.

‘The side seams almost ready’ – It’s this sort of nonsense that holds us back.

The ‘side’ might be ready but what is the back up? Replace a mediocre Japanese team playing an exhibition game in the middle of their season with a Man U, a Chelsea or a Spurs team and ask who is going to score us the goals? Maybe Giroud but maybe he’ll be injured, have a bad day etc and who will be on the bench waiting to come on and score? An untested 19 year old french kid.

We need to strengthen the side. Even if it is ready, even if you have 10 of the best 11 players in the world you should aim to strengthen.

That being said some of the players are playing well and look like they might hit the ground running this season which is encouraging but that doesn’t mean we can go yet another season without strengthening the squad (and no just because we haven’t sold our best players yet that doesn’t count)

“I am starting to think that we need maybe some more players in case of injury, but not players to replace the current people who we are putting out.”
Mr. Atwood,
With due respect for many of your other positions, on transfers, I’d say that you’ve harbored this thought all along, and now you’ve deemed it’s time to soften the blow at UA of us making no major purchases to come.

Walter, And now, with three ‘massive victories’ (and I do love the potential, but it’s great potential, not EPL competition I think), it’s (listen up you moaners) Giroud was great all along, the answer has already been there in the front line, those many profligate misses were a first-year illusion, etc. Let’s at least have the forbearance, Walter, to see the anointed new Giroud back in EPL action before the mounting deification begins?

Man of the Match was Ramsey, he is getting better and better with each passing game this pre season.

Sagna formed a good solid partnership with Per.

Ryo – looked like he was playing with a lot of pressure, but handled it well. I’ve seen him play down the right & left now and he has done well on both flanks.

Arteta & Rosicky in midfield was strong and made it hard for Nagoya to get any rhythm going.

If Walcott had done better we would of probably been looking at 5-1 or 6-1 scoreline.

Wilshere was most culpable for the breakdown in midfield during the second half.as he demanded the ball and when given it, didn’t distribute it well, wasn’t too interested in link play with Aneke and held the ball when he should of passed. Jack is clearly a bit rusty and I am sure he will improve.

Gnabry’s dynamism has impressed me every time he has the ball, unfortunately in this game he wasn’t utilised enough as an outlet.

Podolski was marked by two maybe three for most of the second half and I give Nagoya players credit for making it difficult for him to recieve the ball and making long range strikes difficult for the other Arsenal players to attempt.

Zelalem – showed promise and you can see why he is getting his chances.

Another good and very enjoyable performance. We played some lovely football and entertained the fans rather royally. So far the tour seems a great success – especially in advertising the Arsenal brand.

But, we do need first team ready reinforcements to get us through the coming season – e.g. we can all see just how stretched we are at the back just now.

I am happy that the pre-season is going so well but a word of caution please; we still need some strengthening to kick on from last season. We are short at the back, need strengthening in defensive midfield and another striker would allow us to rotate. That, for me at least is the key, the ability to rest key players and replace them with quality. That is what teams competing to win the PL and CL can do and several of the players are saying that in their interviews. They want competition for places because it will bring them more chance of silverware. This is a good squad but is it a great one yet?

AW needs to strengthen the squad, as we will be in 4 competitions all year. That gives the team a chance of success in all the tournaments. The same 11-14 guys cannot cary the entire season.
Yes, Zelalem is the real deal, but still needs maturing. I dont believe he is ready as an every game player.

Unfortunately, this team look flat track bullies. Wins against grampus , vietnamese and indonesian presidents elevens dont make them world beaters. Yet again our neighbours are showing us the way….Chadi , pains me to say it but what a signing and what a prospect. Just goes to show what a positive attitude in the transfer market can do. Arsenal have many weaknesses when doing transfers, old fashioned tight fistedness being near the top of the list, however it now seems good players trust playing under pelligrini, Jose, unfortunately arsenal will soon find out to its cost…moyes and of course AVB. Wengers coaching, tactics and methodology are no longer best practice. No wonder quality players chose to avoid wenger, they see how players such as vermaelen, Podolski, and many others just go backwards. Looks like higuain to Napoli, Suarez to real as, unlike arsenal, spurs will not roll over and sell reals main target, and Rooney to Chelsea. Oh well, there’s always that itsanogo chap. Happy days.

Spanish media reporting Tottenham people(Franco Baldini) are in Valencia trying to sign Soldado.
Dennis Brady, you got a point. Before, it was something like ‘no top player joins clubs without UCL (unless you pay over the odds).’
Now, those top players don’t want to join Arsenal because of Wenger’s failed policies. The perception is that Arsenal is not a top club anymore. Years of neglect are damaging the club. And the worst thing is there’s not a real effort being made to change the club’s backward ways. Complacency. There’s only buls*it being trotted out by Wenger and Gazidis to fool the fans as it has always been the case for years.

@D Brady,
A rather over-critical précis of our Club even before the season starts.
First of all, tour matches are merely what they say. They are a “show the flag” exercise best loved by the faceless accountants in the back rooms at the Emirates. If we had lost any game to date, the media would have had a field day. By winning, we are said not to be world beaters. We simply cannot prosper in many eyes, no matter what we do.
On the subject of new signings, we must not dwell too much on the progress of our rivals. We have the rest of July and the whole of August to spend window shopping at first and then making our choices. Remember the possible signings are not just picked out of a hat. Scouts have watched them for months if not years and of course we know nothing about the chess-like moves going on behind the scenes. Each transfer requires the agreement of both clubs AND the player (plus a wife, no doubt) and that will take time and secrecy.
We simply have to have patience and above all, confidence that the staff at the Emirates and elsewhere are assisting and advising Arsene in a professional manner.

About Bernard (Not a qwaleedee player but a real quality player). The Brazilian media is just reporting what they heard from the French press. They are saying there are 5 clubs interested in him. Arsenal, Tottenham, Porto, Donetsk and Dortmund. Porto have already made a bid that was not accepted by Atlético Mineiro and Arsenal’s offer (£21m) would probably secure the deal.

Wow – don’t people just enjoy watching Arsenal play a game of footie any more?

No doubt about it, we currently have a small squad when you consider those on tour and even those who haven’t linked up, we need to add to the squad. Clearly some are struggling to cope with this transfer window and there is at least over a month to go before it closes. There is so much happening right now that directly or indirectly affects Arsenal, this window was never going to be easy. But that can be said for most clubs, big or small and it could be said that it’s a sellers market right now concerning the big clubs as we all need something.

Chelsea still need a striker, Man U need a creative midfielder and possibly a striker, Arsenal need a defender & striker, Man C I thought still need a defender who can play how Pellegrini likes – but I haven’t really been following what’s been going on with their purchases, maybe they are just taking strikers off the market to prevent others from strengthening, I don’t know.

Personally I am not interested in a big name signing, just for the squad to be strengthened with quality players. I couldn’t care less right now if we don’t get Higuain, I just expect the scouting system to be out there earning their dinner money.

@Goona Gal
Funny isn’t it. I thought it about time thing’s were lightened up a bit, there seems to be a lot of miserable folk around lately, goodness only knows what it will be like when we lose a game!

Mick, firstly, if they want someone, they go out and buy him. Also, please see paragraph 5 on this link from none other than David Deinhttp://onlinegooner.com/article.php?section=exclusive&id=2883#.Ue2Uo8u9KSM
They are light years ahead of Arsenal in many aspects of the game, as wenger and the board are rooted in a 1998 comfort bubble. OGL knows nothing of modern coaching of the modern player. Once, he was amazing, now he is rubbish
Nicky, I really wish I could be more positive, but I cannot find reason to be.
Goona Gal, I admire your faith in arsenals scouting system but a whole raft of recent signings suggests it is seriously misplaced. And you know the players I refer to.
Until someone wrestles control from wenger the path is downwards, and lets face it , this board will not be doing so. Groundhog Day 2013. A great season coming up for Arsenals rivals

Anybody doubting Arsenal is not going to strengthen isn’t necessarily following Arsenal this transfer window. We have cancelled or released players who are going to add nothing to the team. Santos and Denilson’s contract were mutually cancelled. Arshavin and Squillachi are gone. Lots of clearing on the youth level and have added Zalelem, Crowley and Sanogo to the youth setup. We have freed around 200-250k wages this summer alone. Already three players – Wilshere, Sagna and Arteta- have talked about potential additions to the team and how competetion in spot is necessary to success. Things are going on a snail’s pace but the signs are positive.

There are a number of other sort of interesting side shows which could affect Arsenal some how.

Barca Vs PSG – Thiago Silva, player said Rosell approached him after CL game in Paris and told him Barca wanted him. Since then Barca have worked hard to turn the players head and have mounted a press campaign. Do the methods sound familiar? It’s certainly worked on a whole host of former Arsenal players to my chagrin.

As well reported by Tony on this site PSG now have bucket loads of money and have used this to flex their muscles in the situation. They first threatened to activate Messi’s buyout release clause which was about £250m, but was recently increased to a rumoured to approx 1bn (after some Russian businessmen plotted to do just that). When that didn’t work PSG stated that they are now very interested in a number of Barca players and happen to be chasing the same transfer targets. Marquinhos who was Barca’s other key target after Silva has now joined PSG and whether PSG owners are happy with this coup alone as payback remains to be seen. If Vermaelen was fit and had played better last term I don’t doubt, Barca would of made an approach. Actually they still might, Barca need a defender. David Luis apparently doesn’t really get on with Terry (who is struggling to assert his authority over the new set of players) and would welcome a move to Barca but Maureen won’t do business with Barca.

The Catalan presidency, otherwise known as Barca FC presidency election/reelection seems to involve strange politics that involve high profile signings. Neymar has soothed and calmed a few after Barca’s current tiki taka team had started to looked past it’s prime as they lost to 10 man Chelsea and were humiliated by Bayern in successive years in the CL. Though they have lost Thiago, one of Barca’s brightest prospects through bad management and on top of that and sadly their coach Vilanova has succumbed to cancer once more.

European football has got a lot of moving parts and just demanding AW spend money is naive, its a lot more complicated than that.

Someone remind that Zelalem kid that he’s still 16, and that it’s quite embarrassing for older, experienced defenders when you keep passing the ball between them like they’re not even there. These kids of today have no manners.

@ Dennis Brady – No need to try and stroke my ego in order to engage with me, by saying you admire me. But then slates the manager goes on to talk drivel, identifies them self as a member of the Dein cult and well as unapologetically provides a link to onlinegooner isn’t someone I am bothered to discuss Arsenal with right now. Your boring.

No stroking of egos intended. I am not a member of any dein cult, however I will add arsenal have won absolutely nothing since he was sacked, the squad have lost their very best on an annual basis without anywhere near adequate replacement, great olayers like Mata were lost through dithering yet the unscouted were signed and put on sixty grand a week. guess that dein fellow had something about him, things were much better when he was around

@Dennis Brady
‘if they want someone, they go out and buy him’
What you mean like David Villa. I am sure I could find more if I could be bothered.
‘They are light years ahead of Arsenal in many aspects of the game,’
Again, tell us how and why they are light years ahead, and don’t give another link that was only someones opinion and which proves nothing. Give us some examples of how Spurs are so advanced over us.
Furthermore if Spurs are so more far advanced than us in so many ways and they always get their man and Arsenal are struggling in their wake with a burnt out manager past his sell by date, why are they always behind us on points at the end of the season. Surely if things are so incredibly better at Spurs you should be applauding Wenger for achieving the seemingly impossible.
Finally….’A great season coming up for Arsenals rivals’
I bet you have been saying that for the last few seasons like most of the other ‘experts’ and each time Wenger has proved you wrong and made you all look a little bit silly. I suspect he will do the same again this coming season.

We beat another zoolander team and walters out the blocks quicker then you can say yyeehaaaw. Talk to me when we get stuffed home and away by the mancs and chavs.
Aldridge believes Arsenal “were not serious” when they offered a reported £30 million offer for Reds hit-man Suarez last week, as he wonders whether the north London club are merely putting in offers for players they know they cannot sign in a bid to portray the impression of transfer ambition. What was i saying!!!!!!!!!

@ Bootoomee – You are right. There are far to many people who have never built anything from scratch, developed an idea or held positions of responsibilty, but who find it easy to denigrate others and dismiss achievements with ease.

In the Arsenal blogasphere, what is most disappointing is that the childish angry toddler rants hinder grown up discussion and there is a lot to talk about and keep football fans preoccupied in this off season. As stated above there is stuff going on that directly affects and indirectly affects Arsenal.

Mick, correct about David villa, guess you could add Benteke, but do not forget, while AW dithered, they took loris, verthongen and holtby for starters, and god knows we could have done with someone like dembele.
Tottenham have a proper structure whereby any manager is accountable and has to perform, AW is a dictator who runs arsenal and interviewed his own CEO for the job! I would imagine AW also told board members to sell to SS rather than usmanov.
The fact is, OGL cannot rely on spurs screwing up every spring, as moves are being made to stop that happening. AVB was in his first season, arsenal pipped them by only a point, if wenger wants to run it so close in avbs second season without strengthening, he can be my guest!

When people say we missed players due to dithering, do you know that for sure? It takes 3 parties to agree a sale (up to 6 if you include agents), you can hardly consider it safe to assume it was due to Arsenals dithering as for all you know, we were there waiting with pen in hand but one of the other parties dithered.

AW will sign players, Arsenal have cleared out a large part of the youth setup and cleared out a number of the ‘deadwoods’ as well. So from a pure numbers perspective, AW has to sign players simply to fill out the squad sheet. The true question is as follow: will he sign “top, top, top” players to replace players in the current starting 11, or sign squad players to fill the bench and rotate with the current 11 when needed, or will he promote youngsters and sign new youth players?

Yup, I meant that. The Zelalem.
Also, Ramsey is looking solid. And Theo, looking at his pre season (though he is not free scoring now), his runs, his application……guess he will get atleast 30 goals in all competition.

Though this is a pre-season game, win is essential. This will help build team morale and increase confidence. More the confidence, better the understanding and quicker our game. People say ARSENAL are Barca lite (nonsense). But they forget that our game is played at a much higher tempo and with a purpose. And confidence is the key to that.

“There must be courage; there must be no awe. There must be criticism, for humor, to my mind, is encapsulated in criticism. There must be a disciplined eye and a wild mind…There must be a magnificent disregard of your reader, for if he cannot follow you, there is nothing you can do about it.”
― Dorothy Parker